China's influenza activity has rapidly increased in recent weeks but remains within the expected winter range, with no novel or unknown variants being detected, health authorities said recently.

衛生部門近日表示，中國流感活動水平近幾週迅速上升，但仍處於冬季預期範圍內，未檢測到新型或未知變異株。

Latest data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that flu levels are increasing in both northern and southern regions. This surge led to 955 reported infection clusters in the week beginning Nov 10.

中國疾病預防控制中心最新數據顯示，流感疫情在南北地區均呈上升趨勢。11月10日當週，全國共報告955起流感聚集性病例。

The H3N2 subtype of influenza A is currently dominant, accounting for over 99 percent of samples from flu-like cases, with the remainder being the H1N1 subtype of influenza A and the influenza B strain.

甲型流感H3N2亞型目前占主導地位，占流感樣病例樣本的99%以上，其余為甲型流感H1N1亞型和乙型流感病毒株。

"The nation has entered a period of rapidly increasing flu cases, with the majority of regions seeing a medium to high level of virus circulation," said Peng Zhibin, a researcher at the China CDC, at a news conference on Friday.

中國疾控中心研究員彭質斌週五在新聞發布會上表示："全國流感病例正進入快速增長期，多數地區病毒傳播處於中度至高度水平。"

Peng also noted a significant rise in outbreaks at schools and nurseries, with the flu positivity rate among children and adolescents aged 5 to 14 markedly higher than in other age groups.

彭質斌還指出，學校和托兒所的疫情爆發顯著增加，5至14歲兒童和青少年的流感陽性率明顯高於其他年齡段。

Last winter's flu season was primarily driven by the H1N1 strain, while the current dominant strain is the H3N2 strain.

去年冬季的流感季節主要由H1N1病毒株驅動，而當前占主導地位的病毒株則是H3N2病毒株。

A specific H3N2 subclade, known as K, has also driven up infections in parts of the northern hemisphere, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan, fueling concerns that this signals a faster evolving or more severe virus.

一種名為K的特定H3N2亞系病毒也在北半球部分地區（包括英國、加拿大和日本）引發感染激增，這引發了人們對該病毒可能具有更快的進化速度或更強的致病性的擔憂。

In response, Peng said that the flu virus is prone to minor mutations. The current flu activity still remains at the normal, seasonal epidemic level and does not indicate that the virus is becoming increasingly fierce.

對此，彭質斌回應表示流感病毒容易發生輕微變異。當前流感活動仍處於正常季節性流行水平，並不表明病毒正在變得越來越凶猛。

"So far, all detected cases are common and known pathogens, with no unknown or newly emerging pathogens," she said.

彭質斌表示：“迄今為止，所有檢測到的病例均由常見且已知的病原體引起，未發現未知或新出現的病原體。”

Wang Dayan, director of the Chinese National Influenza Center, said during an earlier news conference that the composition of each year's flu vaccine is updated to best match the strains expected to circulate, including this year's dose.

中國國家流感中心主任王大燕在早前舉行的新聞發布會上表示，每年流感疫苗的成分都會根據預計流行的毒株進行更新調整，今年的疫苗也不例外。

"The matching level for the H3N2 virus has improved compared to previous years, while the matches for H1N1 and influenza B are even higher," she said. "Over 95 percent of circulating strains are antigenically similar to the vaccine strains."

王大燕表示：“與往年相比，H3N2病毒的匹配水平有所提升，而H1N1和B型流感的匹配度更高，超過95%的流行毒株與疫苗毒株具有抗原相似性。”

Experts said that the optimized period to get vaccinated is before the start of the flu season, so as to reduce the possibility of severe symptoms and prevent infection clusters.

專家表示，接種疫苗的最佳時機是在流感季節開始之前，這樣既能降低出現嚴重症狀的可能性，又能防止感染聚集性病例的發生。

However, Peng said that even individuals who have already been infected can benefit from the shot, as the trivalent vaccine contains all three circulating strains and can provide protection against those they have not contracted.

不過彭質斌強調，即使已經感染過的人群也能從接種中獲益，因為三價疫苗包含所有三種流行毒株，能夠為未曾感染過的毒株提供保護。

Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

中國疾控中心

influenza A

甲型流感

trivalent vaccine

三價疫苗